Systems and methods for measuring body parts for designing customized outerwear

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods of capturing images of body parts to create a three-dimensional (“3D”) model for designing customized outerwear are provided. Images of a body part are captured by an image sensor on a camera or mobile device from various angles, after which they are combined using an algorithm to generate a point cloud map of the image data which is used to generate a 3D representation of the body part. The 3D model of the body part can then be analyzed to determine any unique features of the body part that will require customized outerwear, such as pressure points, deformities, etc. The 3D model can thus be used to develop highly-customized outerwear for an individual. The 3D model is a digital file which can then be utilized by software to design the customized outerwear and request that the outerwear be manufactured, for example by additive manufacturing on a 3D printer.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

Systems and methods provided herein relate to creating three-dimensionalbody part models to develop customized, additive-manufactured outerwear,and more specifically to creating a three-dimensional model of a footfrom a plurality of images and developing a user-customizedadditive-manufactured shoe.

Related Art

In the shoe industry, a typical shoe is designed for the mass consumerand provides little or no customization. A consumer may spend yearspurchasing different brands or styles of shoes in search of the bestfit. Even if a consumer finds one brand that fits comfortably for aparticular style (such as a dress shoe), that brand may not provide asimilar fitting shoe in a different style (such as a sneaker). Thus,consumers must go through continuous trial and error to find shoes whichare comfortable and appeal to their personal style. This process isoften unsuccessful, with consumers sacrificing style for comfort, orvice-versa.

For those who are interested in customization, a bespoke cobbler canbuild a customized shoe around a last of the customer's feet. However,this process may cost in excess of $1000 and take several months. Forconsumers with medical or physical issues, such as physical disabilitiesor deformities, customized shoes, or other accessories must be obtainedfrom a health care provider or medical device manufacturer—often atgreat cost—and even then the shoe is only designed to generallyalleviate a disability without being customized for the particular user.

Three-dimensional (“3D”) printing, also known as additive manufacturing,may provide a solution to the difficulties of customizing footwear. Thecost of 3D printing is significantly less than the traditionalmanufacturing process and can also be completed in very little time.However, the current 3D printing technologies use materials which arenot comfortable, durable or stylish. More importantly, 3D printing hasno adequate mechanism for creating a shoe based on a specific user'sfoot.

Therefore, there is a need for footwear and even general outerwear whichcan be designed and customized for an individual consumer.

SUMMARY

Embodiments described herein provide for systems and methods ofcapturing images of body parts to create a three-dimensional (“3D”)model for designing customized outerwear. Images of a body part arecaptured by an image sensor on a camera or mobile device from variousangles, after which they are combined using an algorithm to generate apoint cloud map of the image data which is used to generate athree-dimensional (“3D”) representation of the body part. The 3Drepresentation, or 3D model of the body part can then be analyzed todetermine any unique features of the body part that will requirecustomized outerwear, such as pressure points, deformities, etc. The 3Dmodel can thus be used to develop highly-customized outerwear for anindividual. The 3D model is a digital file which can then be utilized bysoftware to design the customized outerwear and request that theouterwear be manufactured, for example by additive manufacturing on a 3Dprinter.

Embodiments described herein provide for systems and methods of creatinga three-dimensional (“3D”) model of a body part, such as a foot, andusing the 3D model to develop a customized, additive-manufactured shoe.A user may capture images of the foot, which are then transformed into apoint cloud map to create a 3D model of the user's foot. The 3D modelmay be analyzed, along with information on the user's movement,activities and physical history, to determine the properties andfeatures for a customized shoe that is designed specifically for theuser's foot. The customized shoe is then designed for additivemanufacturing through the use of specific materials, patterns, shapes toprovide a customized shoe which is perfectly fit to the user's foot. Thecustomized shoe may also be designed with different exterior styles andintegrated with one or more sensors or other electronics to capture userdata, provide unique therapeutic or medical treatments, andintelligently predict health or growth issues. The same principles maybe applied to other types of outerwear, such as headwear, clothing,gloves, etc.

Other features and advantages of the present invention will become morereadily apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art after reviewingthe following detailed description and accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The structure and operation of the present invention will be understoodfrom a review of the following detailed description and the accompanyingdrawings in which like reference numerals refer to like parts and inwhich:

FIGS. 1A-1C illustrate images of a foot utilized for generating a pointcloud map to create a three-dimensional (“3D”) model, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 2 is an illustration of a 3D model of a foot, according to anembodiment of the invention;

FIGS. 3A and 3B are illustrations of a pressure map of a foot, accordingto an embodiment of the invention;

FIG. 4 is an illustration of three shoe components utilized fordesigning a shoe, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 5 is an illustration of a 3D printed shoe, according to oneembodiment;

FIGS. 6A-6H are illustrations of materials, patterns and shapes used tocreate the 3D printed shoe, according to multiple embodiments;

FIGS. 7A-7C illustrate an insole which may be utilized inside the 3Dprinted shoe to fit a user's foot, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 8 is an illustration of a foam product which may be utilized tocapture a person's specific foot shape, according to one embodiment;

FIG. 9 is an illustration of a pattern on a sole of the 3D printed shoe,according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate the use of shoe interlocking tabs,according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 11A-11C illustrate a concept of a flexible, bendable joint usedfor 3D printing, according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate additional shapes of a 3D printed shoe, as wellas different properties of different portions of a 3D printed shoe,according to one embodiment;

FIGS. 13 and 14 are illustrations of a graphical user interfacepresented to a user for customizing their shoe, according to oneembodiment;

FIG. 15 is a system diagram illustrating a system for creatingcustomized, additive-manufacturers;

FIG. 16 is a block diagram illustrating a method for creating a 3D modelof a foot and generating a 3D shoe based on the model, according to oneembodiment;

FIGS. 17A-17H illustrate a plurality of graphical user interfacespresented to a user for uploading images to create the 3D model andselecting a 3D printed shoe; and

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating an example wired or wirelessprocessor enabled device that may be used in connection with variousembodiments described herein.

FIG. 19 illustrates embedded electronics in a shoe.

FIG. 20 illustrates additively manufactured orthotics.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Embodiments described herein provide for systems and methods of creatinga three-dimensional (“3D”) model of a body part, such as a foot, andusing the 3D model to develop a customized, additive-manufactured shoe.A user may capture images of the foot, which are then transformed into apoint cloud map to create a 3D model of the user's foot. The 3D modelmay be analyzed, along with information on the user's movement,activities and physical history, to determine the properties andfeatures for a customized shoe that is designed specifically for theuser's foot. The customized shoe is then designed for additivemanufacturing through the use of specific materials, patterns, shapes toprovide a customized shoe which is perfectly fit to the user's foot. Thecustomized shoe may also be designed with different exterior styles andintegrated with one or more sensors or other electronics to capture userdata, provide unique therapeutic or medical treatments, andintelligently predict health or growth issues. The same principles maybe applied to other types of outerwear, such as headwear, clothing,gloves, etc.

The ability to generate a 3D model of a body part such as a foot from afew images provides a simple and effective method to obtain a 3D-printedshoe which is perfectly customized to a user's foot. In addition to theoverall 3D shape of the shoe matching the shape of the 3D model of thefoot, the shoe itself may be manufactured from specific materials,specific patterns and shapes that provide comfort, durability,flexibility and dynamic responses to their environment.

Although the embodiments described herein below refer to a foot and ashoe configured for the foot, the same principles can apply to anygarment, fashion accessory or item of clothing/outerwear that can beform fitted from a 3D representation of the item to be covered. Examplesinclude, but are not limited to, e.g. gloves, shoes, sport shoes, skiboots, motorcycle helmets, cycling helmets, eye glasses, sun glasses,shirts, trousers, shorts, skirts, dresses, jackets, suits, coats, etc.

I. Creating a Three-Dimensional Model

In one embodiment, in order to create a three-dimensional (“3D”) modelof a body part, images are captured of the body part from a fewdifferent angles, as illustrated in FIGS. 1A-1C. The images may beobtained using an image capture device such as a digital camera, or amobile device with an integrated image sensor, such as a smartphone,tablet, etc. Additionally, webcams, KINECT sensors, game consoles andeven scanners may be used. The images may be and/or include stillimages, video images, and/or other images (e.g., a collection of imagesgathered at 30 frames/second (this frame rate is not intended to belimiting) may be parsed into separate strings of images).

These images are stitched together using algorithms that create a 3Drepresentation of each foot from the images. This generates a pointcloud map from the image data.

Next, to generate a 3D model, or 3D foot last, from the point clouddata, the point cloud image is taken and snapped into a dynamic shapingalgorithm that matches foot dimensions. Point cloud approximations ofthe appendages are generated and provide 3D foot last that representsthe original dimensions of each foot. This data can be imported into 3DCAD packages for manipulation. Point cloud data points are superimposedon a pre-existing digital foot model and dynamic adjustments are made tocreate an individual custom digital last. An illustration of oneembodiment of the 3D model is shown in FIG. 2.

In addition to determining the shape of the foot, additionalmeasurements may be taken to determine the pressure points on the foot,as shown in the pressure maps in FIGS. 3A and 3B. The areas of the footwhich experience greater pressure are shown in lighter shading on thefoot, while areas with less pressure are shown in red. The maps indicatewhere each user's feet exert pressure, which is helpful when designing acustom shoe, as the shoe can be configured to relieve pressure on thegreatest pressure points. The pressure maps are generated based on theunique shape of each foot being mapped as applied to sets of rules forwhere pressure is applied on various parts of the foot.

II. Designing a Three-Dimensional Shoe

Once the 3D model has been generated, a custom fit shoe is thengenerated by snapping a pre-designed external shell to the point clouddata generated from the 3D model of each foot. Then, form and functionfitting slicing algorithms are applied that adjust the model to provideuser known biomechanics and custom preferences for fitness. Thesebiomechanics may be entered manually by the user or obtained throughcollection of movement data from wearable devices.

In one embodiment, a shoe is designed in at least 3 components that canbe manufactured from a FDM printer in “flat” pieces and assembledtogether. Each component must be designed to a ‘standard foot shape.’The design must be grouped so that the re-sizing can be done together,as well as separate files to allow for the specific sizing needed oneach component and for manufacturing in different materials.

FIG. 4 illustrates a general concept of three shoe components requiredfor one embodiment of a 3D printed shoe, including the shoe upper (1),insole/midsole (2) and outsole (3). These specific components arefurther defined immediately below.

Shoe Upper—the design and visual element of the shoe. This will be aparametric design and determined in combination from the user design andfoot measurements/requirements. This is connected to the midsole of theshoe through an interlocking tab design.

Midsole—the internal component of the shoe. A base ‘foot midsole block’is required that will then be modified to fit the user based on theircalculated foot measurements and footwear functional requirements. Thisis a proprietary algorithm. The midsole will be connected to both theShoe Upper and the Outsole.

Outsole—the base of the shoe. It will require the Feetz logo, a treadpattern, and an interlocking tab holes to connect to the Midsolecomponent.

The completed 3D generated model must then be prepared for 3D printing.This is done by “slicing” the model into many layers, and is achievedthrough the creation of a comfort algorithm of form and function.Slicing can be achieved by any of the following methods, although theseshould not be considered limiting:

A. Basic approach—driven off commercial slicer models, e.g. rectilinear,concentric circles, triangles etc. All layers are treated the samethroughout the entire 3D model.

B. Semi-custom approach—use a combination of preformed internalsgeometric shapes e.g. circle, triangle etc. and change the size,frequency and distribution to match the dynamics of the foot.

C. Parametric approach—create a parametrically driven mesh structurethat is unique to every individual. E.g math based curvature orientatedstructures that can be further customized by e.g. based on the DNA ofthat individual.

D. User-driven shapes—allowing for complete customization e.g. heartshaped, dog bone shaped, or any structure that is designed by theindividual which is packaged by our software to be the mesh.

E. Creating a complete shoe; e.g. different shoe sizes look the same.Automatically fits around the shell with deformities, and around toes.

F. Creates an automatic weight distribution for a pair of shoes:

-   -   i. Same size outer shoe with different size feet    -   ii. Customized based on user needs to be the same weight shoe or        different weight shoe depending on the need.

FIG. 5 illustrates a computer-graphic of a 3D-printed shoe in accordancewith one embodiment of the invention. This shoe is a single piece ofmaterial which does not require additional attachment steps. However,FIGS. 6A-6H illustrate several examples of separate components of a shoewhich would be printed separately and attached to another component ofthe shoe, such as by folding, sleeves, interlocking tabs, etc.

In one embodiment, the MidSole is to be a design file for the left andthe right foot that can be printed in a single component using an FDM 3Dprinter without the need for support material. This component is thenattached to the other shoe components using an interlocking tab design.The material is a proprietary blend combining flexibility (rubber,polyurethanes) and durability (nylon, plastics). This will allow thepiece to be customized to the user footwear requirements. Furthercomponents of the midsole are as follows:

MidSole Standard Base—a design base for a midsole as per FIG. 7A. It hasregistered points on the design file that can be attached to acustomizable algorithm as in FIG. 7C for a custom fit to the user. FIGS.7A-7C illustrate a midsole/insole that fits to a user's foot and isinserted into a shoe as a removable insert. In FIG. 7C, a GUIillustrates how an orthotic insole may be customized for a specificuser.

MidSole Block Fill—a ‘filled’ design block that will be virtually fit toa user's foot based upon their virtual foot. See FIG. 8 for a visual. Inthis case the design “block” would be of a base midsole shape and designand not a cube. FIG. 8 is an example of foot foam that is used tocapture a person's specific foot shape. It is a visual for the Midsolecriteria option (b) where foot virtually pressed into the midsole for acustom design shape.

MidSole Sections—in addition to the 2 options above, the midsole designwill have 3 sections applied into the file with points of measurementwhere a unique algorithm of infill ratios and patterns will be appliedto match the user functional requirements. See FIG. 12C for a visualexample. In FIG. 12C, a Fit Flop WobbleBoard technology allows fordesign tailored to a specific use case “exercise whilst you walk”. Thisexample is an illustration of the ability to design ‘sections’ in themidsole that can be customized to an individual user requirement.

The Outsole is to be a design file that can be printed in a singlecomponent using an FDM 3D printer without the need for support material.This component is then attached to the other shoe components using aninterlocking tab design. The outer will require a tread pattern, and mayalso include a logo or branding, as shown in FIG. 9. Material is aproprietary blend combining flexibility (e.g., rubber, polyurethane) anddurability (e.g., nylon, plastics). It will contain less flexibilitythan the other 2 components to provide foot support and durability inexposure to external surface contact.

Another potential shoe component design is a set of interlocking tabs,as illustrated in FIG. 10A. The shoe components are to be combinedtogether to form the shoe using a combination of footwear adhesives anda designed shoe interlocking element. FIG. 10B specifically shows thedesign file of example interlocking tabs. It is made using flexiblematerials, which allows the tab to be squeezed into the tab hole andthen expanding to create a locking mechanism. The tab on the far leftproduced the strongest lock.

Examples show options for this locking mechanism suitable for differentmaterials. FIG. 4 is suitable for flexible materials because it can besqueezed into the hole. Tabs are needed in the 3 components of the shoeto keep the pieces held together tightly.

The number of tabs will need to vary with the actual size dimensions,design will need to be flexible to allow for this to occur. Forinstance, a large size 17 shoe will have more tabs than a small size 4shoe. Tab Locations/Directions on each component are to be determined.

A further design consideration is the use of flexible bendable joins, asshown by the materials in FIGS. 11A and 11B. This is an example to adesign method used to bring a flexible bendable joint to a 3D printedobject that is made using an FDM printer in hard plastic material, andas mentioned above. FIGS. 11 A and 11B are suitable for hard plasticswhere a joint can be created. A close-up view of the joint and the layerbuild approach is shown in FIG. 11C, which shows it as a ball bearingapproach.

FIGS. 12A-12D illustrate additional design options for the shoe whichdemonstrate that the outer portion of the shoe may be designed inpractically any known shape to provide for a unique style, color.

An example of a graphical user interface where the user is able toselect their activities other aspects of the shoe is show in FIGS. 13and 14.

III. Producing the Three-Dimensional Shoe

When the design is complete, the shoe is now ready for manufacturingusing a 3D printer. The 3D printer is capable of using a plethora ofmaterials, but also can arrange those materials into various shapes,patterns, weights, etc. The considerations for the various materials tobe used include the following:

a. Flexibility/strength: unique blend of different materials can becombined to provide varying degrees of flexibility. A custom shoe wouldhave the ability to exhibit great flexibility where most needed, e.g.where the foot is to pivot or rotate such as the arch and toe joints,and yet provide rigidity in the areas where stiffness is most requiredfor support e.g. base of the heel and around ankle. These can beseparate materials that are changed as the part is printed or a singlecoil of material that has been preloaded with materials of varyingflexibility or a dynamic system that is able to blend 2 or moresubstrates into the desired flexibility on demand.

b. Durability: materials can also be blended to increase strength andruggedness. This is necessary when making parts of the shoe that will bein contact with the external environment. In particular, the outersole/tread portion of the shoe that will experience the most wear andtear. Compounds such as hard rubber or plastic can be added to softermaterials to increase their hardness resulting in an extended lifetimeof the sole. Once again, they can be incorporated as single materials,blends in a single piece or dynamic mixing as the design dictates.

c. Finishes & Coatings: Various methods of treating the raw material orfinal printed article can be applied to achieve the desired mechanical,physical or optical effect. The following are a non-limiting selectionof examples to be mentioned herein:

1. Internal coatings—the areas which directly contact the skin (foot)can be coated with a variety of compounds that would provide a softersecond skin feel to the shoe. e.g. felt, fur, wool, man-made fibers,etc.

2. External or internal finishings—the exterior of the shoes can becoated with a variety of compounds that can change the properties of thematerial for distinct benefits. Examples include:

i) hydrophobic coatings to make waterproof

ii) anti-microbial and/or antifungal coatings for bacterial and fungalprotection

iii) Gore-Tex like coatings to improve breathability and waterproofing

iv) Hypoallergenic coating for decreasing skin sensitivity

v) Powder finishes or anti-sweat coating for perspiration control

vi) Thermochromic finishes or coatings that change color with heat/light

vii) Graphene based materials for printing in situ sensors and circuitrydirectly into the 3D print

d. Material Mimicry: The ability to generate, use or arrange a single orminimum set of materials to achieve desired properties of the entireshoe. Various geometric features and inclusions can be employed to mimicknown properties of other materials. Examples include the following, butare not limited to:

i) Gels—combining air pockets by forming geometric closed structureswithin the design can emulate the function and form of a gel. Varyingthe size of the these air pockets either randomly or through a specifiedpattern can dynamically change the viscoelasticity of the gel providinga tunable scale balancing comfort and support.

ii) Impact absorption—traditional shoe manufacturing techniques employfoams, air pockets, springs, etc. to dampen the transfer of energy fromthe ground to the person. 3D printed structures in a single, or minimumnumber of materials, can be design to emulate these characteristics.Features such as coils of varying size and thickness can be employed tochange the dampening effect. Sealed or un-closed cavities can begenerated to emulate air pockets that also provide dampening.

iii) Tunable structures: Geometric shapes such as, not limited to,triangles, circles, squares, rhombus, spirals, rectangles, etc. can beprinted with varying widths, thicknesses and heights as to change theoverall physical property of the solid material that is being employed.Such structures and techniques can then be tuned to provide e.g. uniquestiffness distributions throughout the shoe or parts of the shoe.Flexibility can be dynamically tuned to accommodate customer need andbiometric requirements for foot support in different activity levelse.g. walking, climbing, running etc.

iv) Additives—The inclusion of different additives to the base polymerfor various desirable chemical and physical properties e.g. carbonfibers to improve durability, ceramics for breathability and temperatureregulation, particle of gold/silver for antimicrobial and antibacterialactivity.

Each shoe design that is dynamic and parametric can be made completelycustomizable and unique. Various factors of the shoe design will becustomizable to include, but not limited to, the following:

a. Basic—wall thickness, colors and ridge details e.g. bumps, waves,grainy, smooth or other 3D TEXTURING capabilities.

b. Interwoven fabrics—e.g. chain mails or joints—custom blend materials,biomechanical mapping with action of feet.

c. Interlocking tab structures for fastening the shoe or differentlayers.

d. Personalized parametric design features e.g. biomechanical, userinput or random generated. The customer will be able to input certainparametric values e.g. Date of Birth, Zodiac sign, pet name, weddingdate, anniversary, etc. and mathematically driven algorithms will adaptthe core shoe design to reflect a one of a kind extremely personalpattern in the shoe.

e. Mathematical functions to generate unique patterns and fabrics—asingle surface or line in and 3D model are generated. To this feature amathematical function such as e.g. sine-wave, square-wave; Voronio isapplied in the GCode to generate unique patterns that mimic fabrics.

IV. Exemplary System and Method

One embodiment of a system and method for creating a 3D model of a bodypart and generating a 3D printed outerwear for the body part isillustrated in FIG. 15. In this embodiment, a user utilizes an imagecapture device 102, such as a digital camera, and captures severalimages of a body part from numerous angles (step 202). The capturedimages are then transmitted to a 3D modeling server 106 from a mobiledevice 104 connected with or integrated into the digital camera 102. The3D modeling server 106 accesses a modeling database 108 to render theimages into a 3D model (step 204). The 3D model may also be createdbased on additional user information (step 206), such as a user'sphysical disability or medical condition which affects their gait, feet,etc. This may include selecting the materials (step 208) and otheradvanced features for the shoe (step 210), such as specific patterns,shapes, etc. The 3D modeling server may then access the shoe database110 to provide options for designing a shoe for the foot, at which pointthe 3D modeling server 106 will communicate with the user via one ormore graphical user interfaces displayed on the mobile device 104 (alsosee FIGS. 17A-H, below). Once the user has selected the desired design,the design is stored in a user database 112, and the 3D modeling server106 then transmits the design request to a 3D printer 114 for printingthe shoe (step 212). As will be described further below, the shoe mayalso be embedded with one or more sensors (step 214), actuators or otherelectronics to obtain usage data or provide the user with therapeuticaction. These sensors will be equipped to measure feedback from the useof the shoe (step 216) to determine its effectiveness.

FIGS. 17A-17H illustrate an exemplary graphical user interface (GUI)that is presented to a user for generating the 3D model and designingand printing a customized shoe. The GUI may be displayed to the user asa webpage hosted by the server 106, or via an application resident onthe user's computing device, such as a desktop computer, laptopcomputer, tablet, mobile device or other computing device. As shown inFIGS. 17A-17H, the user can log in, receive instructions on capturingimages of a body part (in this case, the foot), including printing papergrids. The user is then directed to upload their photos, after which the3D modeling server utilizes the pictures to render the 3D model, asshown in FIG. 17E. The GUI may provide a preliminary indication based onan initial analysis of the shape of the foot as to whether the usersuffers from high arches or heavy pressure. The user may then continueto select a size, style, etc., after which the user is presented with animage of the resulting shoe and the features that the shoeprovides—likely the features identified by the system as lacking basedon the 3D model.

V. Sensors and Intelligence

In addition to features that would apply increased pressure to thespecified zone, additional sensors/thermocouples could be inserted intothe shoes to apply heat at the same time. Piezo elements or smallsonication devices could be included to provide vibrational patterns toimprove massaging. Also, electrodes could be inserted into the solesthat make contact with the skin to provide electronic stimulation of themuscles in the foot for injury therapy.

Activation/massaging of different areas could be achieved by eitherprinting interchangeable insoles that targeted specific areas e.g.kidneys, eyes, stomach etc. and user would swap out based on theirparticular needs. Or, inflatable pockets connected by microfluidicstructures could be activated either by gas or liquid that would expandinto the pressure point activating that area and dynamically change withsoftware driven by an internal CPU, smart phone, laptop or otherwireless/Bluetooth connected controller device.

Microfluidics—A method of creating channels within the shoe can beemployed that allows for additional fluid based mechanics to be employedin the shoe, examples including, but not limited to:

Light/Luminescence—fluorescence within the channels that will reactbased on light (e.g. for night walking safety), or a specific action bythe user (e.g. highlights when a user rolls their foot over a 45 degreeangle that will create a correction of the walking gait)

Fluids—channels can contain fluids to perform actions needed by theusers that include adjusting to impact/creating resistance to impact(i.e. dropping a heavy object on the foot can create an air bag stylesimulation on the toe); shock absorbency, regulated via pressure fromthe foot; and/or oscillation of the fluids with a user driven button tocreate a massage effect to improve blood flow

Material change—channels can change with the foot to change the fit ofthe shoe throughout the period it is worn, e.g. the foot expands up to5% within the day and the shoe can shrink with the use of the dynamicchannels to remain a comfortable fit.

Wearable Sensors—Additional sensors could be added or 3d printed intothe shoe to allow for a variety of additional features. The sensors caneither be off-the-shelf and embedded into the design of the shoe, or usematerials that are actually electrically conductive e.g. graphene based,that will be able to print the circuits and sensors directly into shoedesign. Examples of such embedded tech are illustrated in FIG. 19. Forexample, FIG. 19 illustrates electronic technology 902, 904 embedded ina sole 900 of a shoe. Such embedded tech may be and/or include flexibleelectronics, near field charging equipment, wireless integrationcomponents, nine axis gyroscopic sensors through LTE, and/or otherembedded tech. Examples of sensors that could be added or 3d printedinto the shoe to allow for a variety of additional features include, butare not limited to:

a) weight distribution, embedded sensors that detect the users weightand outputs a distribution of that weight across both feet and surfacearea of the feet.

b) measuring gait—embedded sensors that detect and monitor a user'sgait, do they lead heel toe or reverse, do they favor one foot over theother, pronation etc.

c) time lapse or recovery monitoring—utilizing embedded sensors for realtime tracking of correction of existing issues.

d) Automatic nightlights—lights that are embedded within the shoes thatare light sensor activated, motion or impact activated.

e) GPS—embedded sensor for location, pedometer, speed distance etc.

f) weight tracking—real time monitoring of users weight, can beconnected to an app.

g) Automatic “Replace-Me” sensor, i.e. your shoes are no longerproviding you the support you need.

h) Near-field charging (wireless charging) through embedded flexiblebatteries allowing charging of electronic functions and sensors withoutphysical connection to an external power source.

i) Wi-Fi and cell signal capabilities through embedded chips such as LTEor other cellphone based chips, permitting the transfer of data fromsenor based activities to cloud, apps or other data collecting methods.

VI. Applications

Growth Prediction model: e.g. for Children's footwear. Childs feet growat extremely fast rates. Mathematical models can be employed based onsome input data that would allow us to predict the growth pattern of thechild's feet and print a pair of shoes to match this growth rate thatcan be generated as kids feet grow. Automatically predict growth andhave ready & printed

Health Prediction model: Employing examples outlined previously (e.g.weight, gait, blood flow) allows for data collection to create aprediction of common health issues (e.g. diabetes indicator with adeterioration of blood flow, gout with a swelling seen in the foot).This data can be used to indicate to the user to see a medical expertfor diagnosis and the data can be sent to the medical expert inassistance in diagnosis.

Corrective orthotic issues e.g. supination, pronation, gait alignment,surgery recovery etc. Individuals seek medical assistance for a varietyof foot conditions that cause discomfort. The standard method ofproviding support for these issues is an orthotic that is created withthe aid of a medical practitioner. This is in the form of a singleorthotic that tries to correct the issue. Here we present the idea ofcreating a more gradual correction using a selection of 3D printed shoesthat correct the issue overtime and can be monitored using the embeddedsensor technology. This is shown in FIG. 20. FIG. 20 illustrates aselection of 3D printed shoes 950, 952, 954, 956 that correct the issueover time 948.

VII. Computer-Enabled Embodiment

FIG. 18 is a block diagram illustrating an example wired or wirelesssystem 550 that may be used in connection with various embodimentsdescribed herein. For example the system 550 may be used as or inconjunction with a system for modeling a body part and designing a 3Dprintable object, as previously described with respect to FIGS. 1-17H.The system 550 can be a conventional personal computer, computer server,personal digital assistant, smart phone, tablet computer, or any otherprocessor enabled device that is capable of wired or wireless datacommunication. Other computer systems and/or architectures may be alsoused, as will be clear to those skilled in the art.

The system 550 preferably includes one or more processors, such asprocessor 560. Additional processors may be provided, such as anauxiliary processor to manage input/output, an auxiliary processor toperform floating point mathematical operations, a special-purposemicroprocessor having an architecture suitable for fast execution ofsignal processing algorithms (e.g., digital signal processor), a slaveprocessor subordinate to the main processing system (e.g., back-endprocessor), an additional microprocessor or controller for dual ormultiple processor systems, or a coprocessor. Such auxiliary processorsmay be discrete processors or may be integrated with the processor 560.

The processor 560 is preferably connected to a communication bus 555.The communication bus 555 may include a data channel for facilitatinginformation transfer between storage and other peripheral components ofthe system 550. The communication bus 555 further may provide a set ofsignals used for communication with the processor 560, including a databus, address bus, and control bus (not shown). The communication bus 555may comprise any standard or non-standard bus architecture such as, forexample, bus architectures compliant with industry standard architecture(“ISA”), extended industry standard architecture (“EISA”), Micro ChannelArchitecture (“MCA”), peripheral component interconnect (“PCI”) localbus, or standards promulgated by the Institute of Electrical andElectronics Engineers (“IEEE”) including IEEE 488 general-purposeinterface bus (“GPIB”), IEEE 696/S-100, and the like.

System 550 preferably includes a main memory 565 and may also include asecondary memory 570. The main memory 565 provides storage ofinstructions and data for programs executing on the processor 560. Themain memory 565 is typically semiconductor-based memory such as dynamicrandom access memory (“DRAM”) and/or static random access memory(“SRAM”). Other semiconductor-based memory types include, for example,synchronous dynamic random access memory (“SDRAM”), Rambus dynamicrandom access memory (“RDRAM”), ferroelectric random access memory(“FRAM”), and the like, including read only memory (“ROM”).

The secondary memory 570 may optionally include a internal memory 575and/or a removable medium 580, for example a floppy disk drive, amagnetic tape drive, a compact disc (“CD”) drive, a digital versatiledisc (“DVD”) drive, etc. The removable medium 580 is read from and/orwritten to in a well-known manner. Removable storage medium 580 may be,for example, a floppy disk, magnetic tape, CD, DVD, SO card, etc.

The removable storage medium 580 is a non-transitory computer readablemedium having stored thereon computer executable code (i.e., software)and/or data. The computer software or data stored on the removablestorage medium 580 is read into the system 550 for execution by theprocessor 560.

In alternative embodiments, secondary memory 570 may include othersimilar means for allowing computer programs or other data orinstructions to be loaded into the system 550. Such means may include,for example, an external storage medium 595 and an interface 570.Examples of external storage medium 595 may include an external harddisk drive or an external optical drive, or and external magneto-opticaldrive.

Other examples of secondary memory 570 may include semiconductor-basedmemory such as programmable read-only memory (“PROM”), erasableprogrammable read-only memory (“EPROM”), electrically erasable read-onlymemory (“EEPROM”), or flash memory (block oriented memory similar toEEPROM). Also included are any other removable storage media 580 andcommunication interface 590, which allow software and data to betransferred from an external medium 595 to the system 550.

System 550 may also include an input/output (“I/O”) interface 585. TheI/O interface 585 facilitates input from and output to external devices.For example the I/O interface 585 may receive input from a keyboard ormouse and may provide output to a display. The I/O interface 585 iscapable of facilitating input from and output to various alternativetypes of human interface and machine interface devices alike.

System 550 may also include a communication interface 590. Thecommunication interface 590 allows software and data to be transferredbetween system 550 and external devices (e.g. printers), networks, orinformation sources. For example, computer software or executable codemay be transferred to system 550 from a network server via communicationinterface 590. Examples of communication interface 590 include a modem,a network interface card (“NIC”), a wireless data card, a communicationsport, a PCMCIA slot and card, an infrared interface, and an IEEE 1394fire-wire, just to name a few.

Communication interface 590 preferably implements industry promulgatedprotocol standards, such as Ethernet IEEE 802 standards, Fiber Channel,digital subscriber line (“DSL”), asynchronous digital subscriber line(“ADSL”), frame relay, asynchronous transfer mode (“ATM”), integrateddigital services network (“ISDN”), personal communications services(“PCS”), transmission control protocol/Internet protocol (“TCP/IP”),serial line Internet protocol/point to point protocol (“SLIP/PPP”), andso on, but may also implement customized or non-standard interfaceprotocols as well.

Software and data transferred via communication interface 590 aregenerally in the form of electrical communication signals 605. Thesesignals 605 are preferably provided to communication interface 590 via acommunication channel 600. In one embodiment, the communication channel600 may be a wired or wireless network, or any variety of othercommunication links. Communication channel 600 carries signals 605 andcan be implemented using a variety of wired or wireless communicationmeans including wire or cable, fiber optics, conventional phone line,cellular phone link, wireless data communication link, radio frequency(“RF”) link, or infrared link, just to name a few.

Computer executable code (i.e., computer programs or software) is storedin the main memory 565 and/or the secondary memory 570. Computerprograms can also be received via communication interface 590 and storedin the main memory 565 and/or the secondary memory 570. Such computerprograms, when executed, enable the system 550 to perform the variousfunctions of the present invention as previously described.

In this description, the term “computer readable medium” is used torefer to any non-transitory computer readable storage media used toprovide computer executable code (e.g., software and computer programs)to the system 550. Examples of these media include main memory 565,secondary memory 570 (including internal memory 575, removable medium580, and external storage medium 595), and any peripheral devicecommunicatively coupled with communication interface 590 (including anetwork information server or other network device). Thesenon-transitory computer readable mediums are means for providingexecutable code, programming instructions, and software to the system550.

In an embodiment that is implemented using software, the software may bestored on a computer readable medium and loaded into the system 550 byway of removable medium 580, I/O interface 585, or communicationinterface 590. In such an embodiment, the software is loaded into thesystem 550 in the form of electrical communication signals 605. Thesoftware, when executed by the processor 560, preferably causes theprocessor 560 to perform the inventive features and functions previouslydescribed herein.

The system 550 also includes optional wireless communication componentsthat facilitate wireless communication over a voice and over a datanetwork. The wireless communication components comprise an antennasystem 610, a radio system 615 and a baseband system 620. In the system550, radio frequency (“RF”) signals are transmitted and received overthe air by the antenna system 610 under the management of the radiosystem 615.

In one embodiment, the antenna system 610 may comprise one or moreantennae and one or more multiplexors (not shown) that perform aswitching function to provide the antenna system 610 with transmit andreceive signal paths. In the receive path, received RF signals can becoupled from a multiplexor to a low noise amplifier (not shown) thatamplifies the received RF signal and sends the amplified signal to theradio system 615.

In alternative embodiments, the radio system 615 may comprise one ormore radios that are configured to communicate over various frequencies.In one embodiment, the radio system 615 may combine a demodulator (notshown) and modulator (not shown) in one integrated circuit (“IC”). Thedemodulator and modulator can also be separate components. In theincoming path, the demodulator strips away the RF carrier signal leavinga baseband receive audio signal, which is sent from the radio system 615to the baseband system 620.

If the received signal contains audio information, then baseband system620 decodes the signal and converts it to an analog signal. Then thesignal is amplified and sent to a speaker. The baseband system 620 alsoreceives analog audio signals from a microphone. These analog audiosignals are converted to digital signals and encoded by the basebandsystem 620. The baseband system 620 also codes the digital signals fortransmission and generates a baseband transmit audio signal that isrouted to the modulator portion of the radio system 615. The modulatormixes the baseband transmit audio signal with an RF carrier signalgenerating an RF transmit signal that is routed to the antenna systemand may pass through a power amplifier (not shown). The power amplifieramplifies the RF transmit signal and routes it to the antenna system 610where the signal is switched to the antenna port for transmission.

The baseband system 620 is also communicatively coupled with theprocessor 560. The central processing unit 560 has access to datastorage areas 565 and 570. The central processing unit 560 is preferablyconfigured to execute instructions (i.e., computer programs or software)that can be stored in the memory 565 or the secondary memory 570.Computer programs can also be received from the baseband processor 610and stored in the data storage area 565 or in secondary memory 570, orexecuted upon receipt. Such computer programs, when executed, enable thesystem 550 to perform the various functions of the present invention aspreviously described. For example, data storage areas 565 may includevarious software modules (not shown) that are executable by processor560.

Various embodiments may also be implemented primarily in hardware using,for example, components such as application specific integrated circuits(“ASICs”), or field programmable gate arrays (“FPGAs”). Implementationof a hardware state machine capable of performing the functionsdescribed herein will also be apparent to those skilled in the relevantart. Various embodiments may also be implemented using a combination ofboth hardware and software.

Furthermore, those of skill in the art will appreciate that the variousillustrative logical blocks, modules, circuits, and method stepsdescribed in connection with the above described figures and theembodiments disclosed herein can often be implemented as electronichardware, computer software, or combinations of both. To clearlyillustrate this interchangeability of hardware and software, variousillustrative components, blocks, modules, circuits, and steps have beendescribed above generally in terms of their functionality. Whether suchfunctionality is implemented as hardware or software depends upon theparticular application and design constraints imposed on the overallsystem. Skilled persons can implement the described functionality invarying ways for each particular application, but such implementationdecisions should not be interpreted as causing a departure from thescope of the invention. In addition, the grouping of functions within amodule, block, circuit or step is for ease of description. Specificfunctions or steps can be moved from one module, block or circuit toanother without departing from the invention.

Moreover, the various illustrative logical blocks, modules, and methodsdescribed in connection with the embodiments disclosed herein can beimplemented or performed with a general purpose processor, a digitalsignal processor (“DSP”), an ASIC, FPGA or other programmable logicdevice, discrete gate or transistor logic, discrete hardware components,or any combination thereof designed to perform the functions describedherein. A general-purpose processor can be a microprocessor, but in thealternative, the processor can be any processor, controller,microcontroller, or state machine. A processor can also be implementedas a combination of computing devices, for example, a combination of aDSP and a microprocessor, a plurality of microprocessors, one or moremicroprocessors in conjunction with a DSP core, or any other suchconfiguration.

Additionally, the steps of a method or algorithm described in connectionwith the embodiments disclosed herein can be embodied directly inhardware, in a software module executed by a processor, or in acombination of the two. A software module can reside in RAM memory,flash memory, ROM memory, EPROM memory, EEPROM memory, registers, harddisk, a removable disk, a CD-ROM, or any other form of storage mediumincluding a network storage medium. An exemplary storage medium can becoupled to the processor such the processor can read information from,and write information to, the storage medium. In the alternative, thestorage medium can be integral to the processor. The processor and thestorage medium can also reside in an ASIC.

The above description of the disclosed embodiments is provided to enableany person skilled in the art to make or use the invention. Variousmodifications to these embodiments will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the art, and the generic principles described herein can beapplied to other embodiments without departing from the spirit or scopeof the invention. Thus, it is to be understood that the description anddrawings presented herein represent a presently preferred embodiment ofthe invention and are therefore representative of the subject matterwhich is broadly contemplated by the present invention. It is furtherunderstood that the scope of the present invention fully encompassesother embodiments that may become obvious to those skilled in the artand that the scope of the present invention is accordingly not limited.

What is claimed is:
 1. A system for forming customized, additivelymanufactured outerwear for a portion of a body of a user, the systemcomprising one or more physical computer processors configured bycomputer readable instructions to: facilitate, via a user interfacepresented to the user on a computing device associated with the user,obtaining one or more images of the portion of the body of the user;generate an electronic model of the portion of the body of the userbased on the one or more images, the electronic model comprising a pointcloud map of the portion of the body of the user, the point cloud mapdetermined based on the one or more images of the portion of the body ofthe user; determine an outerwear design based on the electronic model;communicate the outerwear design to an additive manufacturing device;and facilitate forming the customized, additively manufactured outerwearbased on the communicated design with the additive manufacturing device,wherein determining the outerwear design based on the electronic modelcomprises determining locations of one or more sensors in the outerweardesign, wherein each of the one or more sensors is configured togenerate output signals associated with at least one of force, pressure,or ambient light, and wherein determining the outerwear design based onthe electronic model further comprises determining the placement offunctional channels into the design, the functional channels providingfluidics and/or dynamic sizing of the outwear outerwear based on outputsignals generated by at least one of the one or more sensors.
 2. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processorsare configured such that obtaining one or more images of the portion ofthe body of a user comprises one or more of: facilitating, via the userinterface presented to the user on the computing device associated withthe user, capture of the one or more images of the portion of the bodyof the user with a digital image capture device associated with theuser; or facilitating, with the user interface presented to the user onthe computing device associated with the user, upload of previouslycaptured images of the portion of the body of the user.
 3. The system ofclaim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processors areconfigured such that the one or more images include at least two imagestaken from at least two different angles relative to the portion of thebody of the user.
 4. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or morephysical computer processors are configured such that the electronicmodel is generated using a dynamic shaping algorithm.
 5. The system ofclaim 4, wherein the one or more physical computer processors areconfigured such that the dynamic shaping algorithm facilitates:generation of the point cloud map of the portion of the body of theuser; providing a three dimensional last that represents dimensions ofthe portion of the body of the user; importing the three dimensionallast into a three dimensional CAD package for manipulation;superimposing point cloud data points on a pre-existing digital model ofthe portion of the body of the user; and adjusting the last based on thepoint cloud data points and the pre-existing digital model.
 6. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processorsare configured such that the one or more images are captured using animage capture device that includes or more of a digital camera, a mobiledevice with an integrated image sensor, a smartphone, a tablet, awebcam, a KINECT sensor, a gaming console, or a scanner.
 7. The systemof claim 6, wherein the one or more physical computer processors areconfigured such that the one or more images are captured against a gridbackdrop.
 8. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physicalcomputer processors are configured such that the portion of the body ofthe user is a foot and the outerwear is a shoe.
 9. The system of claim8, wherein the one or more physical computer processors are furtherconfigured to analyze the electronic model to determine one or moredimensions of the foot and a determine a design of the shoe based on thedetermined dimensions, the determined dimensions including one or moreof a heel width, a foot width, a location of a beginning of an arch ofthe user, a location of an end of the arch of the user, or an archheight.
 10. The system of claim 1, wherein the one or more physicalcomputer processors are configured such that determining the outerweardesign includes determining designs of three or more separate componentsthat are assembled together to form the outerwear, and whereinfacilitating forming the outerwear with the additive manufacturingdevice includes forming the three or more separate components.
 11. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the one or more physical computer processorsare configured such that the one or more images are video images.
 12. Amethod for forming customized, additively manufactured outerwear for aportion of a body of a user, the method comprising: facilitating, via auser interface presented to the user on a computing device associatedwith the user, obtaining one or more images of the portion of the bodyof the user; generating an electronic model of the portion of the bodyof the user based on the one or more images, the electronic modelcomprising a point cloud map of the portion of the body of the user, thepoint cloud map determined based on the one or more images of theportion of the body of the user; determining an outerwear design basedon the electronic model; communicating the outerwear design to anadditive manufacturing device; and facilitating forming the customized,additively manufactured outerwear based on the communicated design withthe additive manufacturing device, wherein determining the outerweardesign based on the electronic model comprises determining locations ofone or more sensors in the outerwear design, wherein each of the one ormore sensors is configured to generate output signals associated with atleast one of force, pressure, or ambient light, and wherein determiningthe outerwear design based on the electronic model further comprisesdetermining the placement of functional channels into the outerweardesign, the functional channels providing fluidics and/or dynamic sizingof the outerwear based on output signals generated by at least one ofthe one or more sensors.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein obtainingone or more images of the portion of the body of a user comprises one ormore of: facilitating, via the user interface presented to the user onthe computing device associated with the user, capture of the one ormore images of the portion of the body of the user with a digital imagecapture device associated with the user; or facilitating, with the userinterface presented to the user on the computing device associated withthe user, upload of previously captured images of the portion of thebody of the user.
 14. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or moreimages include at least two images taken from at least two differentangles relative to the portion of the body of the user.
 15. The methodof claim 12, wherein the electronic model is generated using a dynamicshaping algorithm.
 16. The method of claim 15, wherein the dynamicshaping algorithm facilitates: generation of the point cloud map of theportion of the body of the user; providing a three dimensional last thatrepresents dimensions of the portion of the body of the user; importingthe three dimensional last into a three dimensional CAD package formanipulation; superimposing point cloud data points on a pre-existingdigital model of the portion of the body of the user; and adjusting thelast based on the point cloud data points and the pre-existing digitalmodel.
 17. The method of claim 12, wherein the one or more images arecaptured using an image capture device that includes or more of adigital camera, a mobile device with an integrated image sensor, asmartphone, a tablet, a webcam, a KINECT sensor, a gaming console, or ascanner.
 18. The method of claim 17, wherein the one or more images arecaptured against a grid backdrop.
 19. The method of claim 12, whereinthe portion of the body of the user is a foot and the outerwear is ashoe.
 20. The method of claim 19, further comprising analyzing theelectronic model to determine one or more dimensions of the foot and adetermining a design of the shoe based on the determined dimensions, thedetermined dimensions including one or more of a heel width, a footwidth, a location of a beginning of an arch of the user, a location ofan end of the arch of the user, or an arch height.
 21. The method ofclaim 12, wherein determining the outerwear design includes determiningdesigns of three or more separate components that are assembled togetherto form the outerwear, and wherein facilitating forming the outerwearwith the additive manufacturing device includes forming the three ormore separate components.
 22. The method of claim 12, wherein the one ormore images are video images.